Herstappe

Herstappe
Municipality
Aerial view of Herstappe
Aerial view of Herstappe
Flag of Herstappe
Flag
Coat of arms of Herstappe
Coat of arms
Location of Herstappe
Map
Herstappe is located in Belgium
Herstappe
Herstappe
Location in Belgium
Location of Herstappe in Limburg
Coordinates: 50°44′N 05°26′E / 50.733°N 5.433°E / 50.733; 5.433
Country Belgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceLimburg
ArrondissementTongeren
Government
 • MayorMarlutje Jackers (GB-IC)
 • Governing party/iesGB-IC
Area
 • Total
1.35 km2 (0.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
88
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
Postal codes
3717
NIS code
73028
Area codes012

Herstappe (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɛrstɑpə]; French pronunciation: [ɛʁstap]) is a Flemish municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2016, Herstappe had a total population of 89. The total area is 1.35 km2 which gives a population density of 66 inhabitants per km2. It is the least populous municipality in Belgium, and the third smallest in area.

Herstappe has a bilingual (Limburgish and Walloon) population. Formally it is a municipality with linguistic facilities for French speakers, which has so far prevented a merger with neighbouring Tongeren from taking place.

Public buildings

The village holds a cafe, a municipal office, a Roman Catholic church and a post office. All have bilingual signposts.

Elections

For the Belgian local elections, 2012, Herstappe was the only Belgian municipality where elections were not held as there was only one candidate list. Previously, this had already happened between 1958 and 1994.[2][3]

Mayors

The former mayor from 1994 to 2014, Serge Louwet, was the lowest paid Belgian mayor in 2012 with €675 for his monthly wages. Actually, his official salary is €1,400 but he considered it too high and kept only 675, the rest being given back to the municipal treasurer.[4]

In 2014, Mayor Louwet resigned in favour of Claudy Prosmans. The first action of the new mayor was to guide Herstappe into the digital era. He wanted to buy a computer for the town hall, complete with an internet connection, and they were also looking into the creation of an official website.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. ^ BELGA (2012-09-17). "Herstappe, seule commune belge qui ne votera pas lors des communales". La Libre.be. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  3. ^ "De enige burgemeester die dit weekend goed zal slapen – De Standaard". Standaard.be. 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  4. ^ Auteur (2012-09-27). "De armste: Serge Louwet (Herstappe) – Het Nieuwsblad". Nieuwsblad.be. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  5. ^ "Herstappe gaat digitaal – HLN". HLN. 2014-12-23. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  • Media related to Herstappe at Wikimedia Commons